CHURCH, OWNER FILE $17 MILLION LAWSUIT AGAINST CITY OF MIAMI
The owner and tenant of the threatened Overtown properties filed a last minute legal action Friday against the City of Miami CRA, the City of Miami and Miami Dade County requesting a stay of the demolition order slated for the morning of Monday, March 1. The suit also requested $17 million in damages. The action claims that the City acted "in clear error" by grouping three buildings together and selectively showing pictures of only the damaged buildings to the Unsafe Structures Board, not the structurally sound building at 1024 NW 2nd Ave currently occupied by the Apostolic Revival Temple, the tenant of the building. The Defendants are also accused of violating Federal Fair Housing laws by "redlining, blockbusting, racial profiling, forced gentrification and non-provision of temporary relocation; manufacturing of slum and blight," using eminent domain-like actions in violation of State Law as well as acting contrary to their own Redevelopment Plan which calls for "preserving and revitalizing historically significant stuctures in the redevelopment area.". A Fair Housing Complaint was filed with the DC office of US HUD late Friday as well.
Meanwhile the City of Miami Community Redevelopment Agency seems determined to charge ahead with the demolition. A PR spin campaign was launched with a WSVN Channel 7 News report which showed the CRA Director donning a gas mask to justify the demolition of the property while barely mentioning the Pastor's building and the large development project in the works. Phil Bacon, the developer who wants to buy the property, posed as representing 'local business interests' and stated that "When buildings get into these conditions, they are simply economically irretrievable" This is despite the proposal on the table to stabilize the property and allow revitaization for $25,000 when the CRA has allocated $46,502 to demolish them. "I can't understand why they can't delay the demolition to explore preserving the properties," said Derek Cole, Board member of the Overtown Community Oversight Board (OCOB), "As a community we voted unanimously to request a stay of execution and so far the CRA has ignored the wishes of the Community." Irby McKnight, community activist and past Chariman of OCOB, also wrote to Commissioner Dunn to express concerns about the demolition of the properties. David Chiverton, past candidate for City Commissioner, has expressed his support for saving the buildings.
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